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Avalot
Located approximately at the very center of the Eastern Territories, Avalot has always been at the center of history. Named for the great eagles which scour the plentiful farmlands through the air, Avalot is a place of peace and prosperity. Because of this, it has become a sort of police for the rest of the modern world. Ruling the lush lands is the Dacre family, residing in the city of Avo with the Court of Nobles. Their flag is that of an eagle with an olive branch in its beak. History During the ancient times of the Westwarden Zealots, Avalot was settled by the more outspoken of the Westwarden settlers seeking to escape the religious dogma of the Zealots. Over the years, as more people settled in the farmlands, they grew more tired of the constant taxes from the Westwarden empire. After a series of failed rebellions, Avalot and their other neighboring nations all managed to finally overthrow their oppressors in the War of Unity. Farkarn Dacre, a commoner of the lands, eventually rose to power and united the various lords of the land to form the great city of Avo after a war with the west. From his throne, Farkarn was able to bring his new nation to the forefront of technology and economy. Over the centuries, Avalot rarely saw any wars on its own territory allowing its armies to grow into one of the strongest land forces in the world. Even during the Treeblood Wars, where nearly the entire Dacre lineage was wiped out, Avalot remained the most powerful and stable nation in all the lands. Their authority was only threatened with the discover of gunpowder in Berma, resulting in the Berman War. Following this war, King Alric Dacre was married to Queen Beatrice Dacre, the princess of Berma,which resulted in a quiet but longstanding feud between the two nations. The Masquerade This feud came to ahead when Alric was eventually murdered by Count Lance Wymund, in an effort to shake up the hierarchy of Avalot as part of a darker plot. Berma's leadership, namely Emperor Juilus Narvineous, took the blame for most of the terrible events that followed in Avo. The result was the death of multiple prominent nobles, including Beatrice, Juilus and Wymund, and a reconstruction of the Court of Nobles to suit a more democratic form of governance. Over the years, it became prominent that the Court of Nobles were more interested in their own power, which deeply angered the commoners of Avo, who had tasted what their voices could achieve with the recent events. Mary the Mute, bastard child of Alric Dacre, spoke as a champion of the people and attempted to earn herself a position in Court as prime minister. Her efforts were thwarted by the current prime minister, Kenneth Deshotel, who competed with her in a campaign to impress all the nobles they could and earn their support. What followed was the uncovering of the plot put into motion previously by Wymund. The organization known as the Midnight Hands revealed themselves to have planned an impending Westwarden invasion in hopes of controlling the nations through trade of gunpowder and posed agents within the respecting governments. Avo nearly saw destruction at the cannons of The Blackest Night were it not for the intervention of Mary the Mute, who discovered the plot in time at great personal risk. Over the course of the summer of 658 AU, Avo saw many attacks of assassins from the Hands as revenge for Mary's involvement. Mary, herself, came close to death were it not for the involvement of her ward, Gunter Newgate, and her lover, Arthur Mourne. In the winter of 659 AU, the Westwarden barbarians invaded Avalot and laid siege on the city of Avo. This siege lasted for months while General Newgate attempted to break it from the outside with the united Avalotian army and was not broken until Mary the Mute arrived with reinforcements from neighboring nations. A peace summit was made between Mary the Mute and Hysaph Jaric, and the Westwarden barbarian was wedded to the King's heir, bonding the two nations in a bid for peace. The plan worked and the Westwardens abandoned their siege on the Eastern Territories. Though Avalot was saved, it would not recover to its former position of power in the world as the Court of Nobles, now led by Argus Verze, attempted to hold the now fracturing nation together. In modern day, 678 AU, Avalot is currently struggling to maintain the fragile peace with Westward, though tension with the nearby Pinelands as things at unease. Culture The people of Avalot have always enjoyed the security of abundant farms and forests, never really needing to trade with other nations but doing so to acquire exotic goods. As such, most Avalotians enjoy the peace and comforts that many foreigners simply do not have. In fact, it has been said that Avalotian beggars are better off than the middle class in some countries. While many outside of Avo live as farmers, in the capital city there is much work to be found and all manner of jobs exist. Many nobles choose to make their home in the Avalot countryside, given its diverse lands and fertile foundations. Being so close to the sea also gives the nation plenty of commerce with all areas of the world. In terms of personality, the people of Avalot believe in strongly hardwork, justice, and liberty. This most likely stems from their heritage leading the rebellions against Westward. In fact, they believe so strongly in separation from Westward that centuries ago all religion was banned from public practice in Avalot borders. However, in terms of dealing with foreigners, Avalot is very open minded and believes in cosmopolitanism. In the past, they are great negotiators and peacekeepers. They also own the trade on oil, which is mined from their nearby hills. Military Historically, Avalot is the home to many of the knights in the realm. The practice of knighthood originated in Avalot in the early 100 AU's as a counter to hiring assassins for gold. These men were protectors of the most powerful lords, wearing plate armor and riding horses as visual guardians for the people. In modern times, while knighthood is still practiced, there are very few actual knights in existence save those fully willing to devote themselves to a single lord. Most men of the Avalotian army are made up of either volunteers during wartime or are paid guards for the various nobles in the Court, pledged to Avalot royalty during times of crisis. Avalot armies number at around 20,000 good men at arms and they have around 400 ships in their navy. In war, Avalot brings wonderful siege weapons and fierce cavalry charges to crush their enemies. They have the largest land army in the Eastern Territories as a result and carry the most up-to-date equipment on the market. Though their army flies different banners, all men know that an order from the King or Queen overrides any oaths of loyalty to their respective lords. A majority of the army resides in Avo, where they take up positions as guards to maintain the law. They are recognized by their silver armor. See Knighthood for more details. Government Since the times of Farkarn Dacre, Avalot has operated on a simple monarchy system which forces all lords and commoners in residence of the country to swear fealty to the King or Queen. However, the King is never the absolute ruler and decision maker of the land. All matters of politics and conflict are brought to the Court of Nobles. There, the nobles of the land and allies of Avalot can discuss any topics and even present changes in the law for the land, such as taxes. The King may oppose any ideals or proposals at any time, but it is expected for him to allow the nobles to handle affairs unless the subject is of a sensitive matter. Outside the Court, nobles come with various titles though each is no more powerful than the other in terms of name alone. Power in Avalot is determined by a noble's assets, be it the strength of their armies or the width of their knowledge or pockets. All nobles in Avalot must report to the Court concerning any political arrangements but they can make their own rules in their lands, though few stray from the laws of Avo to avoid any conflicts with the Court. In modern times, the Court of Nobles was opened to public seating under the ruling of prime minister Deshotel, who saw the value in having the commonfolk at his side in the coming war with the Westwardens. Little has changed since then, with the people electing public officers instead of nobles. Geography The land of Avalot is divided by the nobles, who claims the most fertile parts of farmland and forest. Commoners may settle on any open land they wish, provided they receive a permit from the land's respective lord and pledge taxes to the noble as accordance to the permit. The land 10 miles around the city of Avo is considered "free land" and has all been settled by commoners. This land is directly owned by the King under the ruling that a portion of the food grown there is given to Avo so the city can eat. Avalot is known to be a very diverse lands, right on the edge of a desert to the south and below the cold north of Highrise. The largest forest in the known world, Ferywyn Forest, exists in the northern area where the White River and Mayford can be found. Whiteport is the furthest city in the north and controls the trade between Avalot and the west. Avo itself is protected by a mountain range known as the Baltic Hills, where there once existed beautiful farmlands which was only ruined by the War with Berma decades ago. Everywhere else in Avalot is lush and ripe with the perfect climate for growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Notable Avalotians * Mary the Mute * Gunter Newgate * Alric Dacre * Lance Wymund * Kenneth Deshotel * Henry Stonebrooke * Arthur Stout * Radolf Maynard * Arthur Mourne * Jop Carnell * Rollin Hodgkins